The Banquet

Into the loop;
From single cells
To things in shells;
From hoola hoops
To pressure groups;
The story has just begun it isn’t over”
Richard Strange

Drawing comparisons between Darwin’s theory of the survival of the fittest and the British social order, The Banquet stirs the cauldron of Evolutionary Theory while exposing a whole range of time-honoured social rituals that fall somewhere between the cradle and the grave.

Ball-gowned and tuxedo-clad guests morph from personifications of polite sophistication to feasting beasts and back again, overseen by their ever-so English butler.

Running time: 70 minutes

#TheBanquet #ProteinDance

Reviews

“This is daring, potent dance theatre, a carnival of the bizarre that travels from innocence to nightmare, the playful to the horrific in effortless turns. A widely successful union of choreography and direction.”
The Stage

"The Banquet is entertaining, funny and intelligent...The movement and dialogue, allied to a well-considered scenario, produce dance theatre at its best."
The Independent

"The Banquet is witty and surreal dance-theatre, constructed rather like a Pina Bausch work in miniature."
The Sunday Times

".....fast paced and larky..."
The Evening Standard

Production Credits

Conceived and Directed byLuca Silvestrini and Bettina Strickler

Devised and performed byJean Abreu/Benjamin Dunks, Tasha Gilmore, Luca Silvestrini, Richard Strange and Esther Weisskopf. *Thanks to Robin Dingemans for his creative input in the research period

Design by Dick Bird

Soundtrack compiled and curated byDavid Coulter

Music byDavid Coulter, Richard Strange, Pali, Larry Clinton, Zez, Confrey, Villodo, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Rogers & Hammerstein

Song lyrics byRichard Strange

Costume design by Sylvia Raggi Cose

Lighting design byMichael Mannion

Soundtrack engineered and mixed by Chris Long

Scenery built by Set up Scenery

Set painted by Belinda Clisham

Hills sculpted by Emma Parsons

Production & Technical ManagerRuari Cormack

Technical TeamRuari Cormack, Johnny Eyre, Garry James

Marketing & PressMartha Oakes PR

Design byStop-go

Photos by Mattias Ek

Commissioned byThe Place, together with Dance East in partnership with Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds, Danceworks, Merseyside Dance Initiative and South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell and is supported by Dance4 and University of Bath

Tour History

Phoenix Arts Centre, Leicester

12 Febuary 2004

Newcastle Playhouse

10 February 2004

Riley Theatre, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds

7 February 2004

Arc Theatre, Trowbridge

5 February 2004

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

31 January 2004 presented with Dance Base

Mumford Theatre, Cambridge

29 January 2004 part of BDE

Dundee Rep, Dundee

24 January 2004

Trinity Laban, London

15 January 2004

Kulturhallen Dampfzentrale, Bern, Switzerland

9 & 10 January 2004 presented by Tanz@DZ

Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

30 October 2003

Neptune Theatre, Liverpool

25 October 2003 presented by MDI

Gateway Theatre, Chester

16 October 2003

Lyceum, Sheffield Theatres, Sheffield

14 October 2003 presented by Danceworks

Darlington Arts Centre, Darlington

9 October 2003

Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds

7 October 2003

Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome, Brighton

1 October 2003

Mumford Theatre, Cambridge

29 September 2003 presented by The Junction

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

27 September 2003

Charter Theatre, Preston

21 May 2003

Arts Theatre, University of Bath, Bath

17 May 2003

The Place, London

10-14 May 2003

Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham

15 May 2003 presented by DanceXchnage

Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts, Nottingam

10 May 2003 presented by Dance4 as part of NOTT Dance Festival

South Hill Park, Bracknell

6 May 2003

The Banquet

Year of Production

Drawing comparisons between Darwin’s theory of the survival of the fittest and the British social order, The Banquet stirs the cauldron of Evolutionary Theory while exposing a whole range of time-honoured social rituals that fall somewhere between the cradle and the grave.

Reviews

“This is daring, potent dance theatre, a carnival of the bizarre that travels from innocence to nightmare, the playful to the horrific in effortless turns. A widely successful union of choreography and direction.” The Stage

"The Banquet is entertaining, funny and intelligent...The movement and dialogue, allied to a well-considered scenario, produce dance theatre at its best." The Independent

"The Banquet is witty and surreal dance-theatre, constructed rather like a Pina Bausch work in miniature." The Sunday Times

".....fast paced and larky..." The Evening Standard

Production Credits

Tour History

Phoenix Arts Centre, Leicester

Newcastle Playhouse

Riley Theatre, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds

Arc Theatre, Trowbridge

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Mumford Theatre, Cambridge

Dundee Rep, Dundee

Trinity Laban, London

Kulturhallen Dampfzentrale, Bern, Switzerland

Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Neptune Theatre, Liverpool

Gateway Theatre, Chester

Lyceum, Sheffield Theatres, Sheffield

Darlington Arts Centre, Darlington

Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds

Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome, Brighton

Mumford Theatre, Cambridge

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Charter Theatre, Preston

Arts Theatre, University of Bath, Bath

The Place, London

Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham

Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts, Nottingam

South Hill Park, Bracknell

You May Also Like…

Dear Body

2008

LOL (lots of love)

2011

May Contain Food

2015

Subscribe

“This is daring, potent dance theatre, a carnival of the bizarre that travels from innocence to nightmare, the playful to the horrific in effortless turns. A widely successful union of choreography and direction.”
The Stage

"The Banquet is entertaining, funny and intelligent...The movement and dialogue, allied to a well-considered scenario, produce dance theatre at its best."
The Independent

"The Banquet is witty and surreal dance-theatre, constructed rather like a Pina Bausch work in miniature."
The Sunday Times

".....fast paced and larky..."
The Evening Standard